Odd Fellows Cemetery, Springfield (Robertson County)

In November 1916, the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows Lodge No. 2806 purchased an existing cemetery in Springfield, south of downtown. This cemetery had been previously owned by the Lend-A-Hand Society, who, for unknown reasons, were not able to complete their purchase of the land. The Odd Fellows continued using this land as a cemetery, and it became known as the Odd Fellows Cemetery.

Odd Fellows Cemetery, Springfield

Springfield was home to several African American fraternal and benevolent groups during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Nashville Globe noted in 1910 that Springfield was home to the Masons, Odd Fellows, Benevolent Society, and the Knights of Pythias. It was noted that both the Masons and the Odd Fellows owned "splendid buildings," and that "These fraternities do much to promote good fellowship." ("Springfield and Robertson County," Nashville Globe, September 9, 1910, pg. 3.)

Of the Lend-A-Hand Society, I have been able to find very little information. I did find a notice in the Nashville Globe from February 25, 1910 from the "Springfield Notes" section. It stated that Mrs. Molly Hutchinson had been buried at the Lend-A-Hand Cemetery following her death from consumption. It is possible that this group was some sort of benevolent group, likely offering burial benefits to its members.

Nashville Globe, February 25, 1910, Page 8

In 1993, the City of Springfield took over management and care of the cemetery at the request of the owners. According to the City of Springfield's website, the City received no records of burials or any information concerning the location of graves.  https://www.springfieldtn.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Odd-Fellows-Cemetery-7

I visited this cemetery in November 2019, and it is a beautiful, peaceful cemetery surrounded by a chain-link fence. There are a number of old, very large, oak trees throughout the cemetery, as well as some cedar trees. The graves are largely arranged in rows, in an east-west orientation, and there are both marked and unmarked graves present.

Looking into Odd Fellows Cemetery from the South Main entrance

There are several different types of tombstones present in this cemetery, including obelisk markers, pedestal-urn markers, die-on-base, and government-issued military markers. There are several hand-carved markers. Additionally, the ornamentation of the tombstones runs the gamut from elaborately-carved markers to more plain, undecorated markers.

Tombstones at Odd Fellows Cemetery

Government-issued marker

Elaborately decorated marker

The deed of purchase from 1916 listed the trustees of GUOOF Lodge No. 2608 as J.B. Porter, A.M. Eathley, C.C. Bell, George McClain, and E.H. Porter. I was looking through the Robertson County Negro Year Book, published in 1938 and compiled by Jacob C. Morton and Virdner D. Moore, Jr. This slim publication had some interesting information about some of these trustees. You can find a copy of this at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Information below about the trustees comes from this source.

Robertson County Negro Year Book is a fascinating look at the Robertson County African American community in 1938. 

Mr. C.C. Bell was a groceryman in Robertson County. In addition to his fraternal work, he was an officer at the First Baptist Church in Springfield, which was organized in 1888 and rebuilt in 1914. He also served as the Sunday School Superintendent for more than twenty years.

Mr. Ed Porter worked as the head janitor at Springfield High School and as the business manager for the Parham & Winters Funeral Home.

Mr. John B. Porter worked in the barber shop of I.H. Henderson for many years. Following Mr. Henderson's sale of his business, Mr. Porter opened his own business. He was described that he "enjoys a very nice business, for white people." This seems to indicate that his barber shop catered to white clientele only.

Information on Mr. John B. Porter from the Robertson County Negro Year Book.

The Odd Fellows Cemetery is a lovely cemetery in Springfield, and is the final resting place of numerous members of the Springfield's African American community. It is an interesting cemetery as it was owned by two different African American organizations in its history.